Toon – Check 4 Check

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Darius Thomas has always been a funny guy … a class clown, if you will. Some might even call his behavior a little cartoonish. That characteristic is, in fact, what led to his stage name Toon. But it’s not a characteristic that puts people off. Quite the opposite in fact… He’s the kind of guy everyone wants to hang out with and have a good time with, and his music is the perfect reflection of that sentiment.

More and more people along the East Coast are hanging out with Toon through his music. The naturally gifted lyricist has been making a name for himself out of Washington D.C. and most recently dropped a new mixtape that is gaining some major attention – both from fans and from those inside the music industry.

The mixtape is called “No Need 2,” and it features a mixture of hip-hop and trap. It’s an expressive tape, with a combination of up-tempo and more laid-back songs. It also has some standout features from other well-known names along the East Coast, including Kenny Sway and Young Gwala.

“It’s part of a three-tape series that I’m putting out,” Toon said. “When I first started as an artist, there was a lot of hate going on, and I still feel like it’s hard for me to get the exposure that I want. I make good music, and there’s no need for all that hate, arguing, fussing and fighting. That’s what this mixtape pertains to.”

Toon said his penchant for top-level lyricism is what sets him apart from others in the music game today. His lyricism and energy are readily apparent in his songs and even more forefront at his live performances. Fans get so wrapped up in that energy, in fact, that they often do a double-take when they catch a deep and meaningful lyric, causing them to rewind so they can catch it one more time. But that’s exactly what Toon hopes fans do with his music.

“My music is meant to be turned up, but you still get something out of it, too,” he said. “Most of the time I’m writing about what I’m going through or how I feel – something I’ve gone through or my situation in life at the moment. And at the end of the day I want people to understand me as an artist. I want them to see that you can make turned up music and party music without dying down the lyrics. I’m gonna be real with how I came up in hip-hop and what I understand to be good music. I want to be a focal point for bringing back that old-school sound.”

The standout single from the mixtape is a song called “I’m Sorry,” which he said he wrote as a dedication to his grandfather. The lyrics on the track are about where he came from and his background, and expressing different emotions in ways that most grown men don’t do. Another single to check out is entitled “Check 4 Check”.

Toon is real about how he came up in hip-hop and what he understands to be good music. He grew up listening to artists such as Young JeeY, 50 Cent and Yo Gotti.

Toon said he couldn’t accomplish all this without the help and support of his Pigeon Gang Music Group. Together they’ve released a lot of music over the years, and he said he’s excited to see more notoriety come from the work they’ve put forward.